What to check out during the school year
Whether it’s Rap, Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soca, Jazz, Folk, EDM or anything else, the Guelph music scene has something for all musical tastes. For those looking for a good time with a live band, there’s nothing better than a night out at Frank and Steins or Doogie’s. For those who want to vibe to some dancehall, Friday night at Club Vinyl hosts Dancehall, Reggae, and Hip-Hop night.
If you’re interested in checking out Guelph’s indie music scene, special event concerts are constantly being held at eBar, Jimmy Jazz, Vinyl, and Van Gogh’s Ear.
This past January, Van Gogh’s Ear hosted an incredible GAIN Music’s Battle of the Bands.
The EDM scene in downtown Guelph explodes at the Guelph Concert Theatre, with past acts including Tommy Trash, RL Grime, and Zeds Dead. Bands such as The Sheepdogs, Monster Truck, and Protest the Hero have also performed at this venue.
“Most towns are lucky to have one place with live music, whereas Guelph seems to have a number of different groups playing a variety of music in a variety of venues on any given night – cover bands, original artists, DJ’s, etc. […]. An evening of live music will cost you less than the Saturday night cover at Trappers,” says Eddy Morin, undergrad student at the University of Guelph. “Then there are a number of festivals on top of that where they up the performance ante – Jazz Fest, Kazoo, and Hillside to name a few.”
Alanna Gurr, Press and Publicity Coordinator for Fortnight Music, and lead singer and guitarist for Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State, had some advice on what first year students should check out during the school year:
“For first years coming to town, a good place to see upcoming events off campus would be Music Lives, and to check out what Kazoo, and Fortnight have going on throughout the year,” said Alanna.
Let’s not forget about the U of G’s own Peter Clark Hall. Located on campus, this venue has hosted performances by artists such as Arkells, Shad, Hollerado, Tokyo Police Club, and Alexisonfire.
Guelph’s music scene is famous for their annual Hillside Festival, which is a music and arts festival that has been held in Guelph every summer for the past 30 years. Past acts have included: Arkells, Sam Roberts Band, July Talk, and Said The Whale. Hillside also features a ton of local and new music, including plenty of bands that originated in, or have ties to the City of Guelph.
Many artists are shaped and inspired by Guelph’s music scene. The Ontarion has had the opportunity to interview groups such as AroarA, Said the Whale, and most recently, Alanna Gurr and The Greatest State. In a recent interview, members from Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State had spoken about the impact Guelph’s music scene had on them as artists – the group stressed the sense of community and encouragement that Guelph is famous for exhibiting.
Landon Smallwood, currently an undergrad student at U of G, is the front man for metal band Take The Throne. He recently took the time to explain how the interconnectedness of the city helped his band.
“Having joined a band based out of Niagara while I go to school in Guelph was a fairly tricky situation. With no networks in Guelph and having a lot of those connections based in the Niagara/Hamilton area, we had to find a way to tap into the Guelph scene because we know they have a huge reputation of being one of the best in Ontario. In December of 2013, we started talking to Nik Wever and Liam Frith over at GAIN music. Those guys are some of the best dudes and best people to work with when playing a show or just attending one. With the connections we made over at GAIN music, we made connections with Rick Hall at KRONIKNOISE, also known as Uncle Rick – who is nothing but heart and soul for the scene,” said Landon.
“I think what is so great about the music scene at Guelph is how unintimidating and how much of a community it really is. Being in a niche genre of music, it’s sometimes hard to find that core group of people who you can really connect with at a show. The Guelph scene does a wonderful job of this,” Landon continued. “It is so rare to find a hardcore scene which shows as much love and community as the Guelph scene.”
For those who are interested in checking out what Guelph’s music scene has to offer, one of the most useful tools is Facebook – simply “like” the pages of Guelph’s many bars and venues, as well as Music Lives and Fortnight Music, for up-to-date information on upcoming shows and events.